It was late, and Kate didn't want to wake them. She leaned down to the sleeping duo, kissing her daughter lightly on the cheek. Her left hand found Castle's cheek, and she felt his day's stubble rubbing against her wedding ring. A wedding ring that wasn't from him. She sighed, and pulled away before she could do something she'd regret later.

She shut her daughter's door only to lean back against it. She slid to the floor, her hands finding purchase in her hair. Her life was a mess right now. But, for some odd reason, she was happy.

Rick felt a weight shift on his chest. He didn't remember who he had fallen asleep with but was soon reminded as tiny arms wrapped around his neck. Johanna was still out like a light, so he figured it'd be okay to move her to her bed. He stood up carefully, not wanting to wake her up. Moving to her bed, he pulled the comforter down with one hand as his other kept the sleeping girl tight against his chest. He laid her down softly, pulling the blankets up around her neck. He tried to straighten up when her small hands grasped the front of his shirt tightly. He gently pried her fingers from his shirt before he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

He loved this little girl. He may not have known her for very long, but he felt the same love he felt for Alexis. Johanna was sweet, and she obviously missed her father. Rick wasn't entirely sure her dad was ever around much anyway. He sighed. He knew how it felt to be missing a father your entire life. He vowed right then that he would be there for Johanna when she needed him. Even if they weren't blood related, she was still a daughter to him.

Rick walked out of the girl's room only to stumble over Kate. He fell, throwing his arms out to catch himself before he crushed Kate. He ended up straddling Kate with his arms on either side of her head. Her eyes opened slowly to see Rick staring at her from above her face. His heart was racing. He had been constantly thinking of feeling Kate's body against his since the day in the grocery store. She was going to be the death of him.

Realizing who was trapping her to the ground, she smiled slightly. She didn't mind being in this position. Nope, not one bit. But he didn't need to know that. "Castle, what are you doing?"

"I… I-uhm- I tripped coming out of Johanna's room. I didn't know you camped out in the hallway outside her door every night."

"Funny. I must've fallen asleep once I sat down out here."

"Yes it would appear that way," he commented. Then he realized he was still lying on top of her with her beautiful mouth only a few inches away from his. He licked his lips unconsciously as he peered down at Kate. He met her eyes again before speaking. "I should probably get off of you now."

Kate grinned wickedly. "I don't know, Castle. I kinda like having you close to me."

Castle groaned, rolling to the side of her. "Don't say things like that. You're married, and I won't be able to control myself."

Kate's smiled faltered as she glanced down at her rings. She didn't forget she was married; she just… conveniently overlooked that fact. She still wasn't sure what would happen with Will. A tear slipped out the corner of her eye as she pondered the possibilities.

Castle caught the tear rolling down her cheek. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry."

Kate shook her head. "Not your fault. I just don't know what's going to happen with Will. Johanna loves him to pieces, and he barely knew she existed before. Now he doesn't know at all. And I can't live with the heartbreak that she'll be going through, Rick. She's my whole world. I can't let her be hurt by this." She caught her breath before going on. "And then I failed her earlier. I let my pain get the best of me without even thinking about what it would do to my daughter. She must've been so scared, and I wasn't there for her. I didn't even get to say goodnight before she went to bed. What if she loses both of us to this?" She looked at him with pleading eyes that melted Rick's heart.

He put his hand on her knee. "I won't let it happen, Kate. It may be too late for Will, but if you need money that you don't have, I'll lend it to you," Kate opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "I'll let you pay me back. But you and I both know that you don't have the money to pay for some of the things that he's going to need. And while I may not know him personally, I know you and I know Johanna. And I love that little girl Kate. I'll do anything to make her happy. And if that means I need to take her for a few hours to let you have your space, then I will. And if it means she needs someone to cuddle up to and read a story, I'll do that too. I care about her, Kate. And she needs her father. I know what it's like to grow up without your dad. I won't let that happen to her. You can count on that."

The tears were flowing freely down Kate's cheeks now. "You have no idea how much that means to me," she whispered. "No one has ever done something like that for me before." She scooted herself so she was closer to him before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, for loving her," she whispered in his ear.

"Don't thank me for that," he responded, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes. This wasn't exactly like he had dreamt about, but he wasn't willing to ruin a family. And just having her in his arms, that was good enough for now.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long! My life has been crazy lately with softball! We're Section Champs though, and moving on to the playoffs! Wish us luck!

Anywayyy… any thoughts, comments, or ideas? I know this was short, but I wanted to throw something out. If anyone has any idea of where this should go next, please let me know. I'm taking suggestions!